Medical electrode



Dec. 10, 1957 E. A. PIAR MEDICAL ELECTRODE Filed Jan. 18, 1956 INVENTOR. ELMEE A 0/42 BY 2% /MM v flTTOQ /E Y.

United States Patent MEDICAL ELECTRODE Elmer A. Piar, Cleveland, Ohio Application January 18, 1956, Serial No. 559,827

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-30314) This invention relates to surgical instruments and particularly to a medical electrode.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved medical electrode for use with non-pulsating low voltage, high amperage galvanic current that will dissect the non-cellular tissues that cover the skin without causing a flow of blood.

Another object is to provide a device of the type stated that will remove such non-cellular tissue so that the sudoriferous and sabaceous glands may again function normally and allow the hair follicles to reproduce hair.

A further object is to provide a medical electrode that is an improvement over that described in my United States Patent No. 2,547,041, issued April 3, 1951.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawing wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partlyin section, of the improved medical electrode that is the subject of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the same;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectionalview taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 33 of the Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing the instrument as used in operating upon a human scalp;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the guide members;

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the knife;

Figure 7 is an end View of the same; and

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the knife and one supporting bearing plate, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 8-3 of the Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in Figure 1 the medical electrode that is the subject of this invention, broadly indicated by reference numeral lit. The instrument is fabricated of metal so as to be electrically conductive.

Reference numeral 11 indicates a body or frame member, of rectangular shape, having a pair of faced and parallel bearing plates 13 depending from the ends thereof. A cross-brace 12 extends between the plates 13 and aids in holding them parallel. The two bearing plates 13 are secured to the body 11 at one end only, leaving their free ends free to be slightly flexed toward and away from one another. Each bearing plate 13 has a bearing support 33 made by cutting a multi-pronged opening therethrough, with the prongs bent inward.

A handle 14 is mounted on top of the body member 11, as is seen most clearly in Figure 1.

Reference numeral 25 indicates the knife which is cylindrical in shape, with a plurality of spaced circular cutting edges 30 formed integral therewith around the peripheral face thereof, as seen in Figures 6 and 7. An axial bore 31 extends through the knife. The bore has a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 32 whose number and shape match that of the prongs 33 of the bearing plates 13.

The knife 25 is mounted between the bearing plates 13 by springing the plates apart and fitting the prongs 33 into the slots 32. The natural resilience of the plates 13 causes them to press against the ends of the knife 25, while the prongs 33 engage the slots 32 thereof. Thus the knife is held firmly against rotation. In the form illustrated, there are eight mating prongs and slots which provide for the possible positioning of the knife between the supports in eight different positions for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed.

The knife 25 is preferably made of stainless steel to permit it to be subject to steam sterilization, for sanitary reasons, without danger of corrosion.

In the form illustrated, the cylinder has 23 spaced cutting edges 30 ground around the peripheral face thereof to a razor sharp edge. The blades are between .045 and .050 inch deep spaced between .010 and .015 inch and are ground to an inclusive angle of between l030. The knife illustrated is in diameter and long, but shorter or longer knives may be used depending upon the requirements of the operation.

It will be noted that the bearing plates 13 are tapered to a round point at their knife bearing ends, which leaves the knife cutting edges 30 entirely clear of the plane of the bearing plates over at least /5 of their circumference, as seen in Figures 2 and 4.

A pair of opposed guide members 16 are pivotally mounted on each bearing plate 13 by means of pivot pins 15, which inter-fit bores 18 thereof. The guide members 16 lie immediately adjacent the ends of the cylindrical knife 25 and are movable on their pivot pins 15 radially of the axis of the knife 25, toward or away from one another. Each guide member 16 has a shoe or guide surface 29 and a camming surface 17.

Reference numeral 20 indicates a cam shaft having a worm gear 21 mounted at the center point thereof. A cam 19 is mounted on each end of the shaft 20 between the camming surfaces 17 of each pair of guide members 16, as seen in Figure 1. Each pair of guide members 16 are biased toward one another against their associated cam 19 by means of springs 24.

A control shaft 22 is journaled within the handle 14 and has a worm 23 at its lower end which engages the worm gear 21 of the cam shaft 20. A graduated dial 26 is mounted on the top end of the shaft 22, as shown in Figure 1, and cooperates with an arrow 34 on the handle to indicate the relative position of the shaft with reference to a starting point. The ratio of the gearing is such that one complete revolution of the dial 26 will produce .025 inch radial movement of the guide member shoe-surfaces By referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the guide members 16, shown in solid line, can be pivoted from a position, wherein the guide surfaces 29 are inside the plane of the cutting edges 30 of the knife 25, to an extreme alternate position 16a, shown in broken line, wherein the guide surfaces 29a are beyond the plane of the cutting edges 30 of the knife 25. This is done by rotating the cams 19 against the camrning surfaces 17 of the paired guide members 16.

Figure 4 shows the instrument as it appears when op erating upon a skin surface, 35, such as the human scalp. It is, of course, to be understood that the instrument 10 is connected by means of plug 28 and cable 27 to a source of galvanic current such as described in my above mentioned United States Patent No. 2,547,041, while the indifferent electrode is held by the patient or otherwise attached to the patients body. The set up of the electrical circuits and the manner of conducting the treatment is the same as described in said patent, and, therefore, I

need not be. repeated here. The. medical electrode. 10. is then gently passed over the scalp 35 with the guide surfaces 29 of the guides 16 at either end of the knife resting on the skin. It will be noted that the depth ofpenetration of the cutting edges is determined by the relation of the guide surface 29 to the plane of the cutting edge 30. As the guide surface 29 is moved radially toward the axis of the cutting edge 30, the cut becomes deeper; as it is moved outward from the axis, the cut becomes shallower.

In cases having a long history of baldness, the cut should be one-thousandth of an inch deep. In cases of recent baldness, one-half thousandth of an inch is usually sufficient. by the guide surfaces 29 can be adjusted between zero and twenty thousandths of an inch. Thus one instrument can be used for treating all types and conditions of baldness, rather than requiling a separate instrument for every change in cutting depth, as required in my earlier instrument.

It should also be noted that this is in effect a doublesided instrument since only one of the paired guide members are used at one time, as shown in Figure 4. If the cutting edges should become dulled during the treatment, it is only necessary to turn the instrment to bring the opposed set of guide members to bear against the skin to bring a new portion of the cutting edge 30 into use. Inasmuch as both guide members are simultaneously moved radially of the axis of the knife 25 by the action rotating the knife the width of one prong, or 6 turn,

and relocking the slots and prongs. Thus the entire circumference of the cutting edges 30 can be used before the knife has to be resharpened. Furthermore, the cutting edges 30 can be re-ground to a smaller diameter and still be of service since the guide members 16 can be readily adjusted to provide the proper cutting depth.

It will now be clear that there is provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

By turning the dial 26, the depth of cut allowed I claim:

1.. A medical electrode, comprising in combination, a body member including a handle portion and spaced bearing plates, a cylindrical knife member mounted between the bearing plates, the knife member having a plurality of spaced circular cutting edges formed integral therewith around the peripheral face thereof, a guide member pivotally mounted on the body member adjacent each end of the knife member, and means mounted on the body member for pivoting the guide members radially with reference to the axis of the knife member.

2. A medical electrode, comprising in combination, a body member including a handle portion and spaced bearing plates, a cylindrical'knife member mounted between the bearing plates, the knife member having a plurality of spaced circular cutting edges formed integral therewith around the peripheral face thereof, a pair of opposed guide members pivotally mounted on the body member adjacent each end of the knife member, each guide member having a guide surface and a cam surface, cam means mounted between the paired cam surfaces, operable to pivot the paired guide members radially with reference to one another and the axis of the knife member, and spring means mounted between the paired guide members for biasing the paired guide member cam surfaces toward one another and against the cam means.

3. A medical electrode, comprising in combination, a body member including a handle portion and spaced bearing plates, a cylindrical knife member mounted between the bearing plates, the knife member having a plurality of spaced circular cutting edges formed integral therewith around the peripheral face thereof, a pair of 0pposed guide members pivotally mounted on the body member adjacent each end of the knife member, each guide member having a guide surface and a cam surface, a cam shaft journaled between the bearing plates spaced from and parallel to the knife member, a cam mounted on each end of the shaft between the paired cam surfaces of the paired guide members, the paired cam surfaces being spring biased against the cams, and control means mounted on the handle and engaged with the cam shaft to rotate same, whereby both cams act to simultaneously pivot their associated guide members radially with reference to the axis of the knife member.

4. A device of the type defined in claim No. 3 and further characterized by the knife member and bearing plates having mutually cooperating means for holding the knife member immovable, in adjusted positions, relative to the bearing plates.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

